Hotel / Catering & Pub Management - Case Studies

Rank on Exit: Warrant Officer

Years of Service: 23 Years

Qualifications Gained: Gables School of Cookery

 

‘Having completed a 23-year career in the Corps of the Royal and Electrical Mechanical Engineers (REME), achieving the rank of Warrant Officer Class One in the trade discipline of Artificer Vehicles, I wanted to undertake a resettlement course that would give me a skill I could use in everyday life, while also providing me with an interest for the future.

 

‘I stumbled across an advert for the Gables School of Cookery and, despite much mickey-taking from my workmates, decided that this was the course for me. What impressed me about the Gables’ approach was the amount of time spent cooking compared to its competitors’ courses; its friendly, helpful approach; and finally the fact that it offered value for money. Booking on its four-week intensive course could not have been easier: my resettlement officer was provided with an itemised breakdown of costs and I was able to attend this course, with a value of over £3,100, at a cost to myself of just over £250.

 

‘The staff are terrific and it’s not long before a strong bond is formed between them and the students. The course format is that you cook something in the morning, which you eat for lunch; then you cook something in the afternoon that you have for your evening meal. After eating all this rich food, you need to work off the calories. Luckily, the course comes with free temporary membership to the local five-star hotel’s gymnasium and spa, which gives students the opportunity to unwind at the end of a long, hard day.

 

‘So, what did I get out of the course? I am now much more confident in my approach to cooking … not to mention more successful. You would be surprised how far you can come in four short weeks.

 

I strongly recommend the Gables School of Cookery for anybody either considering cooking as a hobby or as a route to future employment. All methods and regions of cooking are covered, as are all relevant health and safety standards – and nearly all costs can be offset against resettlement grants. Go on! What have you got to lose?’

Rank on Exit: CPO

Years of Service: 24 Years

Qualifications Gained: Four-week residential resettlement course with Herron House

 

Following 24 years in uniform, serving in locations such as the Gulf and the Far East, Underwater Weapons specialist CPO Robert ‘Arty’ Shaw left the Royal Navy in 2009 in search of ‘a new career direction’. Now working as shift manager at JD Wetherspoon (JDW) pub, the Rann Wartha, in St Austell, Cornwall, he says that the man management skills gained during his Service career have ‘without a doubt’ proved useful: ‘When I see it done badly out here in civvy street,’ he says, ‘I am so grateful for my Service training – and it is noticed that I can get things done using my Service skills.’

 

He attended a CTW, which was useful in that it directed him to a four-week residential resettlement course with Herron House in Lancaster, for which he used his GRT and IRTC grant. He found this course ‘extremely well run and relevant to the needs of the Service leaver. The career guidance was very positive.’ A civilian detachment was involved and, he says, ‘together with my partner, I was one of the guinea pigs on the first Herron House/JDW secondment, which went very well and was instrumental in me gaining my current employment with the company here in the south-west.’

 

This was Arty’s first civilian job on leaving the Forces and came about, he says, as ‘Herron House had just established a link with JDW as a result of the success of Service leavers already employed by the company; course director Alan Herron recommended me to JDW, my application was picked up at its head office (JDW guarantees an interview to all Herron House Service leavers), I was invited to attend one of its recruitment forums in Plymouth and was offered employment.’

 

His job currently involves ‘acting as deputy in the general manager’s absence. My areas of responsibility include financial control, maintenance of premises, dealing with contractors, staff training and induction, staff supervision and control, stock management and ordering, marketing and merchandising, office admin and weekly returns, risk assessments and other H&S issues, identifying staff training needs and delivering training sessions, customer liaison and service standards … to name but a few! JDW operates a “lifestyle culture”, which means I can enjoy a management role in the hospitality industry without working every hour God sends. All managers work 48 hours per week max, with two complete days off, finishing on an early shift and re-starting on a late one.’

 

‘You need to be aware,’ he says, ‘of the differences between military management styles and civvy ones, but that was discussed on my resettlement course, along with many other issues encountered by Service leavers going into civilian employment.’ The good news is ‘I expect to exceed my leaving pay rate within months.’ Speed of promotion is quicker too: ‘I’ve got all my promotion courses and exams lined up. I expect to be general manager fairly quickly, with the salary to match – and something else that is different is being able to go home every day to my girlfriend and newborn baby girl!’